"Move, Kael! Now!"
Kael stumbled back into action, his body lurching forward almost against his will. The spider lunged, its legs stretching impossibly far as it closed the distance in an instant. Kael dodged clumsily, his foot catching on uneven stone and sending him off balance. His dagger lashed out in a desperate arc, slicing through one of the creature's legs with a wet, crunching sound.
The spider screeched—a high, piercing wail that echoed off the cavern walls. The severed leg twitched on the ground as the creature staggered, its remaining limbs scrabbling to compensate. Kael's pulse raced as he saw the opportunity. He gritted his teeth and lunged forward, his dagger plunging into the spider's abdomen with a sickening squelch.
The creature spasmed violently, its legs flailing as it crumpled to the ground. For a moment, Kael thought it might rise again, but then it collapsed fully, its grotesque body curling inward in death.
